The Black Angel [Gratsu]

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Thirteen

★ Natsu's POV ★

A/N: This chapter got so long I had to split it, oops. Enjoy! 

As I coasted through the sky, I wondered if Gray had figured out who I was. Part of me was nervous about him discovering my secret identity, and the other part felt it to be relieving, like a burden on my shoulders I didn't have to carry anymore.

You need to stop slipping up, I berated myself. Stop giving him signs and hints he'll eventually pick up on. There's no going back once somebody figures out your identity, no matter who it is.

Did I trust Gray enough with my true identity, anyway? As I thought about it more, more questions formed in my mind. Did Gray only like me because I was an anonymous hero behind a mask? Did he just like the mystery of me? The supposed puzzle behind my identity?

After thinking about it more, I figured that meant he only liked a portion of me, and for some reason, it saddened me to come to that conclusion. I wanted him to like all aspects of me, not just the side that seemed "cool" because I saved the day. No, I wanted him to also like the shy, jittery Natsu side too, not just the easygoing, badass Angel.

I then realized I had to go back.

I left Gray there, confused, and without an explanation. He was already hurt, and now he was probably even more so. I couldn't bear to leave him, it just wasn't right.

Flipping in the air, I turned around and headed straight back to his roof, not caring so much about my landing by the window and more so about the person behind it. The lights were already off, and I wondered if Gray was already asleep. Still, I knocked on the window anyway, knowing he would hear me.

A dim light flicked on, and I saw Gray there under the soft glow of his bedside lamp. He pulled on a pair of glasses - wait, what - and eyes widened visibly when he saw me crouching there, waving timidly. He moved towards the window again, rubbing his eyes under his frames (which looked extremely good on him, although that wasn't much of a surprise).

"Angel?" He whispered out into the dark. "What are you doing here? I thought you left."

"Well, you see, Gray," I laughed timidly, "I couldn't leave you just yet. Oh, and I'm sorry about before. That was uncalled for."

"Which part?" A certain harshness was laced in his tone. "The part where you pretended to fall off a three-hundred-story building? Or the part where you gave me an ambiguous answer about your true self and just whooshed away?"

"Both." The guilt on my face made his grimace fade into a regretful expression. "Come on, let me make it up to you."

Regret morphed into confusion. "How are you going to do that?"

"I'm going to show you where I live. Just like you wanted."

Gray's eyes widened, and he looked excited. I wondered how it was possible for a single person to go through four emotions in a matter of a minute, and I resisted the urge to chuckle. "Right now?"

"Only if you want to," I shrugged half-heartedly. "It is late."

"It's only ten at night," Gray pointed out. I glanced at my watch to confirm the time, which was 9:56. "I think we'll be fine. The rest of my family is asleep anyways."

"Alright, then," I stood up from my crouched position. "Your chariot awaits." Gray laughed as I picked him up once again and took off the roof, biting his lip to keep from shouting out in surprise when we swooped into the air.